Thursday, August 28, 2008

Although it was critically acclaimed for its unique vision of a world destroyed by vampires, the Impaler comic book series by writer William Harms was left unfinished last year after only three issues.

But now, all six issues of the first volume have been completed and are being collected in trade in October, with a new ongoing Impaler series to begin later this year. READ MORE.

Voting is open, and Top Cow has provided Newsarama with ALL the Pilot Season 2008 titles for you to check out, today: Alibi. Head to topcow.com for voting details. -- The solicitation reads: (W) Joshua Hale Fialkov (A) Jeremy Haun (Cov) Jeremy Haun -- The perfect killer always has an airtight alibi. But can anyone be in two places at once? John Stephens can. He’s often a suspect whenever a high-profile target is taken out, but he always gets off scot-free because he’s usually somewhere else, having the time of his life. How can he be responsible? The authorities may be fooled, but now someone knows his secret, and John is going to have to face the consequences. From the people’s choice Joshua Hale Fialkov (Cyblade, Marvel Comics Presents) and artist Jeremy Haun (Civil War: Iron Man/Captain America, Chuck) comes this espionage thriller with a twist! READ MORE.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

BROKEN TRINITY LITHOGRAPH BY JEFFREY SPOKES TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR SALE

BROKEN TRINITY LITHOGRAPH

Limited-edition litho features Spokes' stunning interpretations of Witchblade,The Darkness and The Angelus

Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced today it will make available a limited number of lithographs of Jeffrey Spokes' triptych image created for the company's Broken Trinity summer event. The image features the Trinity of the Top Cow Universe – Witchblade, The Darkness and The Angelus.

The image was broken into three parts and initially appeared as alternate covers for the Broken Trinity tie-in issues published by Top Cow. Broken Trinity is a three-part mini-series with three tie-in books in which at least one established character dies and new characters with permanent ramifications for the Top Cow Universe are introduced. The three main books are by the Witchblade team of Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic with Phil Hester providing layouts, while the three tie-in books include work by writers Marz and Phil Hester (The Darkness), and artists Jorge Lucas (The Darkness), Brian Stelfreeze (Batman: Black and White) and Nelson Blake II (Black Vault).

Jeffrey Spokes' comics work outside of Broken Trinity includes covers for Virgin Comics' Sahdu: The Silent Ones and Devi. He has also done commissions for Star Wars, X-Men and Hellboy, and his original works have appeared in The New York Times, all showcasing his highly sought-after work. More examples of Spokes' fantastic artwork can be found at his website (www.jeffreyspokes.com).

"We were introduced to Jeffrey Spokes' work by Broken Trinity writer Ron Marz and I was immediately taken by his incredible sense of design and artistry," says Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. "We're incredibly proud to offer Jeffrey's three covers for Broken Trinity as the unbroken, beautifully iconic piece he originally envisioned."

The 11" x 17" lithograph is available in October and comes in a protective sleeve with a certificate of authenticity. The lithograph retails for $29.99. Fans who wish to pre-order the item should provide their comic shop retailers with Diamond Item number AUG082283.

Voting is open, and Top Cow has provided Newsarama with ALL the Pilot Season 2008 titles for you to check out, today: Genius. Head to topcow.com for voting details. --- (W) Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman - (A) Afua Richardson - (Cov) Afua Richardson --- Alexander, Hannibal, Napoleon, Patton. What if the greatest military mind of our generation was born in strife, surrounded by violence and combat since birth? When the gauntlet is dropped, the question isn’t “How did 17-year-old Destiny Ajaye unite the gangs of South Central into a killer army and declare war on the LAPD?” No, the question is, “Can anyone stop her?” -- From the minds of writers Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman (The Highwaymen, Monster Attack Network) and innovative illustrator Afua Richardson (Half Dead), Genius is a book that will have readers talking for months to come. READ MORE.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

This latest volume in the Ron Marz era features last summer's crossover hit, FIRST BORN, its tie-in issues and several issues dealing with Dani Baptiste and Sara Pezzini's lives after the universe-altering event. Showcased in this volume is the artwork of current WITCHBLADE ongoing artist Stjepan Sejic, Stephen Sadowski (JSA, PROJECT: SUPERPOWERS), Luke Ross (INDIANA JONES), Rick Leonardi (ACTION COMICS) and Sami Basri (JLA: CLASSIFIED). Plus, this trade paperback features a brand-new painted cover by Sejic!Collects WITCHBLADE #110-115 and FIRST BORN #1-3.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced it will publish the first, complete story arc of William Harms’ Impaler in a new trade paperback that will debut this October, and then will launch a new series for the property in December.The first three issues of the series were initially published by Top Cow parent company Image Comics in 2006-2007, but was never completed. The Impaler Vol. 1 trade paperback collects those three issues plus the final, three never-before-seen issues of the initial story arc. Top Cow was so excited by this series that it also greenlighted a new ongoing to follow the collection. READ MORE.

Monday, August 25, 2008

(W) Jonathan Hickman (A) Kenneth Rocafort (Cov) Jonathan Hickman The Core is the center of the known universe where ancient and well-established species have created powerful empires, federations and cooperatives. The Core is also the most dangerous place in existence, and younger races are not welcomed warmly. When the first human is appointed to an extraterrestrial Special Forces unit, the soldier must first earn the respect of his peers as he fights for the recognition of his species. The writing of critically acclaimed scribe Jonathan Hickman (Nightly News, Pax Romana) and the distinct stylings of Madame Mirage artist Kenneth Rocafort combine for this unique Pilot Season book! Click to launch viewer READ MORE.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

This is shameless, I know. And I'm no stranger to shameless: One time, in D&D camp, I put 15 dodecahedrons in my, er, "pants of holding" to see how many natural 20s I could roll with...but I digress. READ MORE.

In its second year running, the newest Pilot Season initiative brought new characters and concepts to the Top Cow pasture. Five new books launched, with their future in the fans' hands as they vote for which continue. Last year's winners were Cyblade and Velocity, and both have new series debuting later this year. Between those two inaugural winners and this year's crop of five books there's a lot to talk about.

As the final day of voting draws near, Top Cow's Vice President – Editorial Rob Levin came by to talk about this year's crop of books and how Pilot Season came to be. READ MORE.

The more I looked through this book (thanks Top Cow!!), the more my jaw dropped. Marc Silvestri’s pencils are absolutely amazing. So what’s in this $30 gallery that makes it worth the money? Here’s a run-down. READ MORE.

If Top Cow's trinity of Witchblade, the Darkness and the Angelus is broken, how do you fix it? One man possibly holding the superglue solution is scribe Ron Marz. He promised by the end of these six issues, " ... one of them is dying. For good. READ MORE.

The spotlight shines on Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri in this very special art collection!

Silvestri’s career blossomed during runs on Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine. In the early 1990s, he revolutionized the comics industry when he co-founded Image Comics and had a hand in creating such hit properties as Cyberforce, Witchblade, and The Darkness. This oversized art book showcases some of Silvestri’s favorite, most popular, and most iconic images from his illustrious career.

I’ve always felt that The Darkness works best when it brings Jackie Estacado’s moral code into the equation and that is exactly what the bulk of this Broken Trinity prequel does. Jackie goes on the warpath when he finds out from The Butcher that some people that used to work underneath him accidentally killed a five year old girl they were holding for ransom. To complicate things (or make the issue feel uneven), some Angelus soldiers are hunting Jackie in what is yet another attempt to destroy The Darkness. The storyline involving the dead little girl is compelling, brutal, and extremely well written. The appearance of the soldiers, however, feels extremely tacked on and seems to force the extremely strong stand-alone Darkness story into being something that it isn’t. That said, as a whole, this is a well done prequel because it gives Jackie a reason to want to be with his daughter, Hope. READ MORE.

Whoa! When I think back to the 90s, three of the top artists that come to mind are Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane and Marc Silvestri. I remember first seeing Marc's work in the pages of Uncanny X-Men. I was a little bummed when the creation of Image was coming about because I didn't want to see my favorite artists leave my favorite characters. READ MORE.

Silvestri's career blossomed during runs on Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine. In the early 1990s, he revolutionized the comics industry when he co-founded Image Comics and had a hand in creating such hit properties as Cyberforce, Witchblade, and The Darkness. This oversized art book showcases some of Silvestri’s favorite, most popular, and most iconic images from his illustrious career. READ MORE.

Ron Marz: It's actually an idea Jeff Johnson showed me six or seven years ago. He had characters designed and a bunch of story notes. We'd wanted to get together and hammer it into a book even back then, but our schedules never matched up. Now, after a few years and a couple of moves to and from Florida, it's a reality. It's set in the here and now, but it really qualifies as a fantasy story. It's about a boy who discovers his true heritage - he's the last dragon on earth, and it's up to him to keep dragonkind from disappearing forever. It's about family, about growing up, about finding your place in the world... and about magic. READ MORE.

The spotlight shines on Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri in this very special art collection!

Silvestri’s career blossomed during runs on Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine. In the early 1990s, he revolutionized the comics industry when he co-founded Image Comics and had a hand in creating such hit properties as Cyberforce, Witchblade, and The Darkness. This oversized art book showcases some of Silvestri’s favorite, most popular, and most iconic images from his illustrious career.

Monday, August 18, 2008

The spotlight shines on Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri in this very special art collection!

Silvestri’s career blossomed during runs on Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine. In the early 1990s, he revolutionized the comics industry when he co-founded Image Comics and had a hand in creating such hit properties as Cyberforce, Witchblade, and The Darkness. This oversized art book showcases some of Silvestri’s favorite, most popular, and most iconic images from his illustrious career.

Top Cow Productions has provided CBR with a first look at artist Kenneth Rocafort's variant cover of "Cyblade" #1, the new ongoing series from Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rick Mays. Beginning in October, Cyblade was the winner of last year's Pilot Season initiative whereby the character was awarded a new title based on popular demand. When you're through checking out this first-look artwork, don't forget to visit CBR's Image Comics forum to discuss "Cyblade" with fellow readers. READ MORE.

Friday, August 15, 2008

It's the first ‘Broken Trinity' Darkness issue, and Jackie Estacado hightails it back to town after the Butcher informs him that the crew he left behind has been making some pretty stupid decisions…like kidnapping an asthmatic 5-year-old for ransom. Jackie regulates in the baddest way, from threatening to make one goon a junkyard dog treat to shoving a wad of payoff down another's throat in an explosion of blood and flesh. Jorge Lucas' art is top notch, READ MORE.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

At San Diego Top Cow announced a new imprint, Dini Cartoons that will feature humorous comics from animation savvy producer/writer Paul Dini. The first comic to be published under the imprint will be Jingle Belle: Santa Claus vs. Frankenstein, which will be written by Dini and illustrated by Stephanie Gladden. READ MORE.

An interview with Jay Faerber, the comic book writer and creator of Noble Causes, Dynamo 5, Gemini, Urban Myths, and more. We talk about the creation of his Top Cow Pilot Season offering, Urban Myths READ MORE.

At the Top Cow art exhibit, now showing at Brave New World Comics in Santa Clarita, California, an original Marc Silvestri piece of Witchblade is on sale for $2,900. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society in the late Michael Turner's name. Read more about the exhibit READ MORE.

Monday, August 11, 2008

According to Green, don’t expect another series of comics this time around. “[Writer and co-creator] Hugh [Sterbakov] and I have talked about [volume three]…he has the whole thing mapped out,” he hinted. “[But] I really wanna push towards trying to exploit another medium — I really want to make a movie at this point. So we’re talking about how to do that. It’s always a process getting a film made, but I think this concept will really come alive on film and that’s what I’m pushing for.” WATCH THE VIDEO.